What triggers the alert
iOS watches for Find My network accessories, AirTags and compatible third-party trackers, that are separated from their owner and moving with you. When one has been with you long enough, you get an Unknown Accessory Detected or Item Detected Near You notification.
The key words are separated from their owner. If the owner is with you, no alert fires, which is why a friend’s tagged keys in your car produce nothing.
The common false alarms
Borrowed and shared items. A partner’s bag, a family car with a tag in the glovebox, a hire car, a shared set of keys.
Someone else’s AirPods. Certain AirPods generations can trigger the alert when they are separated from their own owner.
Public transport and shared spaces. Long journeys next to the same tagged bag can be enough.
What to do when you get one
Tap the notification. iOS will offer to play a sound on the accessory if it has a working speaker, which is the fastest way to locate it.
If it will not chime, speakers can be removed or disabled, search by radio instead. A Bluetooth scan shows what is broadcasting and the signal rises as you approach.
Check the obvious carriers first: bag linings and inner pockets, coat hems, the car’s wheel arches and bumpers, under seats, and the boot.
If you find a tracker you cannot explain, contact the police rather than disposing of it. On an AirTag, holding your iPhone to it reveals a serial number that can be traced to an account.
If this is happening in an unsafe situation
If you suspect the tracker is connected to an ex-partner, a family member or anyone who has been controlling or threatening, get advice before you act. In the United States, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. In the UK, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247. If you are in immediate danger, call your emergency number.
More on identifying devices
The rest of the material on working out what is broadcasting around you.
- How to check whether someone is tracking you, Safety
- How to scan a room for hidden Bluetooth devices, Method
- Reading Bluetooth signal strength (RSSI), Reference
- Save the devices you care about, My Devices tab
- MAC randomisation: Rotating Bluetooth identifiers
- Bluetooth hub, the complete list
Common questions
Does Unknown Accessory Detected mean I am being tracked?
Not necessarily. It means a Find My accessory that is not registered to you has been travelling with you while separated from its owner. Borrowed bags, family cars and other people’s AirPods are common innocent causes.
Why can I not make it play a sound?
Either the accessory is out of range, or its speaker has been removed or disabled. In that case you have to locate it by signal strength instead of by sound.
Does this alert cover non-Apple trackers?
It covers trackers that participate in the Find My network and, increasingly, those following the cross-industry unwanted-tracking standard. It does not cover every cheap Bluetooth tag on the market, which is a real gap that a general scan can partly fill.
In the app: The scan shows every nearby device with its name, battery and live signal strength. Read about Bluetooth Scanner.